The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy - Hardcover

Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816060487 ISBN 13: 9780816060481

Publisher: Facts On File, 2006

Synopsis

With more than 500 entries, this work serves as a reference to the history of the Western magical and alchemical traditions, sorting history from myth and folklore and examining mystical beliefs through the ages. It covers such topics as history, lore, famous people, philosophies, procedures, materials, rituals, and relationships to science.

About this title

About the Author:

Rosemary Ellen Guiley is a leading expert on the paranormal, and is the author of more than 45 books and hundreds of articles on a wide range of topics. She conducts original field investigations of haunted and mysterious sites, and researches entity contact experiences and spirit communications. Her work has been featured in documentaries and docu-dramas on the History Channel, the Travel Channel, SyFy, the Discovery Channel, A&E, and Animal Planet, as well as independent productions. She is a frequent guest on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. Guiley is a consulting editor of FATE Magazine and a frequent lecturer across the country. She lives in Connecticut.

From Booklist:

Magic and the dream of turning base metals into gold have always fascinated people, and this work provides a wide spectrum of information for the curious reader. To appreciate the book, it is best to start with the introduction, which states that "magic is a real and powerful resource." Once one understands the point of view of the author, this encyclopedia is easier to comprehend.

Arranged in alphabetical order, more than 400 entries range in size from a short paragraph to several pages. Most end with a list of further readings. Black-and-white illustrations, mostly from the author's own collection, are used liberally throughout the work. All the expected terms--Grimoires, Rituals, Runes, etc.--are explained. The volume ends with a comprehensive bibliography and an index with main entries in bold.

Among the best parts of the work are the biographies of such figures as John Dee, Florence Farr, and Nostradamus. Devotees of Harry Potter will find that one of the characters from the first book, Nicholas Flamel, was a real person. Especially strong are the articles on The Da Vinci Code, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings. The work is marred by a few typos, such as a wrong date in the entry for Count Alessandro Cagliostro. Not having an entry on cats while including one on the horse is curious, and readers will have a hard time finding the reference to cats in the short article entry Familiars since the index has no cats entry.

The best approach to using this work is to realize it is written from the point of view of a true believer. Skeptics will find the lack of critical examinations annoying. This work will have the strongest appeal to users who already believe but want additional information. Recommended for public and academic libraries that have a high demand for this type of information. Abbie Vestal Landry
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Facts On File
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0816060487
• ISBN 13: 9780816060481
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 370